Audrey B. Smith, Ph.D.

Audrey Smith is the Senior Vice President of DDI's Executive Solutions. Audrey and her team spearhead DDI’s global consulting resources to help organizations identify, develop, and deploy executive-level talent. Executive Solutions supports strategic, organization-wide engagements leveraging many of DDI’s diverse services. Audrey’s expertise in selecting and developing professionals across levels, and ensuring cultural alignment, benefits organizations seeking to revitalize their human capital systems.

A recognized thought leader in executive succession management, Audrey co-authored Grow Your Own Leaders (2000), a comprehensive and flexible guide for developing extraordinary leaders. Her knowledge supports DDI’s Executive Solution services, which include strategic consulting, talent assessment, accelerated development, performance management/accountability systems, culture change consulting, and other executive team interventions which link strategy to execution.

Audrey’s primary responsibilities include:

• Thought leadership on executive development interventions with a focus on succession management, execution of business strategy, and culture change.
• Designing, implementing, and validating systems for selecting, placing, and developing “high potential” talent.
• Driving post-assessment actions, such as performance feedback, development planning, individual coaching, and experiential learning practices.
• Designing automated tools to facilitate the delivery of DDI’s testing portals and assessment management systems.
• Integrating performance management and accountability systems within an organization with tools such as DDI’s Maximizing Performance^® and Executing Business Strategy^SM.
• Coordinating research and development, technology integrity, and alliance management.

Audrey’s recent accomplishments include designing and implementing executive selection programs for General Motors (North America and International Operations), BMW, Sanofi-Synthelabo, Quest Diagnostics, and BMW. In addition, she has designed and implemented development programs for "high potentials" at PPG Industries, Georgia-Pacific, Nissan, DaimlerChrysler, U.S. Postal Service, Cisco Systems, and Toyota.

Audrey facilitated large-scale automated selection solutions. These have included outsourced selection projects for General Motors, hourly, professional, and leadership positions, as well as support for major sales professional, leadership and executive expansion initiatives for Sanofi-Synthelabo, Pharmacia, and Biovail.

Before joining DDI, Audrey worked for Rockwell International, where she was an Organizational Development specialist focusing on assessment, performance management, and training. She also conducted an enterprise-wide supervisory training evaluation study for Kodak.

Audrey earned both a doctorate and master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Colorado State University, where she later taught courses in Psychometrics and Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She is a member of the American Psychological Association.